Wonder Valley, California, in the heart of the Mojave Desert, is a rural community of artists, musicians, and other desert dwellers. Visit the Palms Restaurant, the Glass Outhouse Gallery, and the Wonder Valley Community Center. Visit the beautiful Pinto and Bullion mountains. Minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and the Gateway to the Mojave Preserve.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Illegal shooting in Wonder Valley

There was non-stop shooting in some areas of Wonder Valley over the Veterans Day weekend, starting at daybreak and continuing until dark. The shooting included pistols and high-powered assault weapons. Only shotguns are legal in Wonder Valley including on BLM land. There were 10 calls to the Sheriff's Department over the three day holiday, with deputies responding. No citations were issued.

I, Teresa Sitz, asked Lt. Barta of the Sheriff's Department, about the calls at last Monday's MAC meeting, and read the public comment of an elderly disabled resident who could not attend the meeting. Tom Zeigart of Yucca Mesa also commented on the issue.

On Tuesday, three residents including myself, attended the Board of Supervisors meeting and gave public comment. My comment is listed below.

Lt. Barta pulled me out of the meeting to discuss the issue. He was in receipt of photographs taken of the shooters and he gave me his contact information so that we could continue to work on the issue.

ON ILLEGAL SHOOTING IN WONDER VALLEY

Good morning. My name is Teresa Sitz and I have served as the MAC Delegate for Wonder Valley for the last three years. I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for making the Bob Burke Government Center available for us for public comment. I also appreciate the attention and support that the Board has given Wonder Valley in the past.

I am here today to address a serious ongoing issue in Wonder Valley - the illegal shooting of firearms, especially high-powered pistols and rifles. This issue has come up many times in local community meetings, and we have attempted to address it by working with the Sheriff’s Department, the Base, the BLM, and the MAC.

The main obstacle to solving this problem has to do with jurisdiction. Though the County forbids shooting anything other than shotguns in Wonder Valley, many residents and visitors feel that if they step onto BLM land within the checker board of Wonder Valley that they can shoot anything they want, any time they want. Confusion about jurisdiction makes enforcement difficult.

The BLM has told me that County rules regarding shooting apply on BLM land within the boundaries of Wonder Valley, but they have issued no official statement that can be used to clarify the law to the Community, to the Sheriff's Department, and to visitors. And so the shooting of pistols and high-powered rifles continues, with both residences and roads within the trajectory of high-powered rounds. It is only a matter of time before somebody is accidentally wounded or killed.

In addition, the boundaries of the County shooting map for Wonder Valley do not align with the boundaries of Wonder Valley, and so, within some residential neighborhoods open shooting is allowed any time, day or night with any kind of weapon, including assault weapons. We request that Land Use revise the shooting maps to conform to the boundaries of our neighborhoods.

Another problem is that when the Sheriff’s Department is called to the site of shooting, the shooters stow their illegal weapons and tell the Sheriff’s Department that they were only shooting shotguns. It may not be possible to enforce current laws against long-range pistols and rifles in our neighborhoods without making shotguns illegal, as well. I believe it is time to consider this as a solution to ending illegal shooting in Wonder Valley.

My neighbors complain to me that many Sheriff’s deputies do not know the law regarding illegal shooting and are therefore unwilling to enforce it. At this time, especially during the holidays, our neighborhoods are under siege, with high velocity weapons being fired within range of our homes from dawn until dusk. Without the Sheriff's Department to enforce the law we have no one to turn to for help.

I ask the Board of Supervisors to work with our community to keep us all safe from illegal shooting in our neighborhoods.

9 comments:

"It may not be possible to enforce current laws against long-range pistols and rifles in our neighborhoods without making shotguns illegal, as well. I believe it is time to consider this as a solution to ending illegal shooting in Wonder Valley." Agree 100% Go to a shooting range if you want to shoot.

Teresa this is one issue I will never agree to. I've lived here for many years and more than most probably and there has not been a problem with shooting in UNPOPULATED areas within wonder valley.

You have all these people moving into the western part of the valley where you have all the crime. This is a rural area and not a city so don't try to make it one. Intelligent shooters and there are many do not discharge their fire arms near or around structures.

I do agree that there should not be guns discharged in a populated area which I think is where peoples complaints are coming from.

So if you want to ban all shooting in Wonder Valley then I would suggest you move back to the city of origin or pick another.

Yep, I've been shooting here for almost 40 years, now I only shoot shotguns on my property due to the ordnance, then have to drive 1/2 mile up the road to shoot centerfire/rimfire guns in the legal area. Absolutely ridiculous zoning. I had a safe backstop and the nearest neighbors are 1/2 mile away. Too many people take offense to the noise IMHO...

Thank you, everyone, for writing with your thoughts on this issue. I really appreciate it.

A few of things:

1. I have absolutely no power to make anything happen. I am an unpaid volunteer appointee. My only role and ability is to relate your interests to the County at the MAC meeting. I myself do not have the power to make shotguns legal or illegal.

2. Those of you who do not want the shooting of shotguns to become illegal in the unincorporated neighborhoods - I also represent your interests and I cannot take sides. So please do tell me what your interests are and I will make sure they are conveyed.

3. All of the people involved have lived here more than 20 years and the problem has been going on for more than 10 years. If you want to see the use of shotguns protected in the area it is the Sheriff's Department that you will want to talk to. If they protect our neighbors in Wonder Valley from illegal shooting there will be no need for the County to explore other solutions.

Well the problem with banning shotguns is that people will still shoot them. The rifle/pistol ordinance has been in effect almost 10 years, and guess what, it doesn't work. A logical person could assume banning shotguns would end with a similar result.